The Mail Dilemma
by Fizzy Starburst
Summary: In the many years that True worked at Mad Style, there was one thing she had still not quite understood. Jimmy and subsequently, other part timers were hired specifically to bring the mail. Yet, since the first say she started, and every day since, Oscar would bring Amanda her mail. Contains Osmanda Amanda/Oscar . Rated for mild language and mild sexual content. Oneshot.


**AN: Yes! It's done! Here it is in it's 7-page glory! Probably the longest oneshot that's taken me the least amount of time to write. **

**This story takes place in an alternate universe-ish, True is 19, and it's like if the canon ending never happened. Max Madigan is still the president of Mad Style, True is still the VP of youth apparel, Amanda is still an adult and the VP of women's apparel, ect.**

**As always, I do not own the rights to anything in this story (excpet Tommy! He belongs to my brain).**

**I apologise for how insanely OOC Amanda is in the second half on of this story. I promise I'll try harder next time!**

* * *

In the many years that True worked at Mad Style (as she was now 19 years old), there was one thing she had still not quite understood. Jimmy (and subsequently, other part timers) were hired specifically to bring the mail. Yet, since the first say she started, and every day since, Oscar would bring Amanda her mail.

This thought confused the girl. Did Amanda not trust the mail boys? Had she scared them all off to the point that they all handed her mail over to Oscar because they knew he knew how to handle her?

True shook her head, as though it would help clear her thoughts. She was supposed to be working, not thinking about silly little things like this, anyway. But the whole time she was sewing or designing, that nagging little thought would come to mind. Why did Amanda get that (admittedly, very odd) special treatment? The thought kept reoccurring until Tommy, the new mail boy, came by to drop hers off. "Tommy," she asked him, "Out of curiosity, you wouldn't happen to have anything for Amanda today, would you?"

The young brunette shrugged, "Gee, Ms. Jackson, that's Oscar's job, not mine."

True let out a loud, aggravated scream, causing the younger boy to raise his eyebrow at her. "Sorry." she apologised sheepishly, "It's just, ever since I started working here four years ago, I never quite could understand why Oscar had to deliver Amanda's mail."

"Why don't you just go ask him?" Tommy suggested.

A questioning look appeared on True's face. "Yeah, why don't I ask him?"

She left her office, heading straight to the receptionist's desk. When she got there, she wasn't all that surprised to see that Amanda was already there. "Oscar!" she called in the same sing song voice she used every time she beckoned the receptionist, "Did my mail come yet?"

"Right here, Amanda!" he replied with a smile. True noticed that he seemed a little more pleasant than usual, but shrugged it off because Oscar was usually in a good mood.

Amanda hummed slightly as she quickly scanned over the pile of mail before her. "Perfect!" she cried before returning to her office.

"Okay, what is up with this?" True asked.

Oscar looked up at her, confusion etched across his face. "What is up with what?" he asked apprehensively.

"Amanda's mail!" True exclaimed, "How come she gets hers delivered by you, but everybody else gets theirs from the mail boy?"

Oscar shrugged before responding, "All of hers just seems to get sent to the front desk. It comes to me, I get it ready for her."

This answer didn't satisfy True. "Well, why does she get it sent to the front desk? Why doesn't she put the building number like the rest of us?"

"True, I don't know all the answers. Maybe Amanda just likes talking to me." He replied, almost wistfully.

True couldn't help but laugh as the words left Oscar's mouth. "Please, Amanda doesn't like talking to anyone. Unless it's about herself." She quickly added.

Oscar rolled his eyes before turning to true and simply stating, "There's more to Amanda than you think."

True opened her mouth to respond, but nothing got out before the infamous voice rang out once again. "Oscar!"

"Speak of the devil." True mumbled under her breath.

"Some of these aren't actually mine." Amanda explained, before chiding him. "You're getting sloppy."

True was stunned speechless for a few seconds, before proclaiming, "Amanda! I saw you look at them before you left!"

Amanda began to fidget and glance around nervously before awkwardly replying, "No I didn't."

"Yes, you did!" True exclaimed. "You were humming a little song and everything!"

"Yeah, now that you mention it True, I remember that." Oscar added.

Amanda rolled her eyes before complaining, "Fine, take her side like you always do!"

"Sides?" Oscar asked, half in confusion, half in anger. "Since when was this about taking sides?"

Amanda growled before seething "Just take your stupid mail!" And with that, she stormed back into her office and slammed the door.

"Damn! What was that all about?" True asked, still not entirely sure about what just happened.

Oscar sighed, "I don't know if you noticed, but Amanda doesn't like you very much."

"Oh believe me, I noticed." True responded.

"Amanda doesn't have a lot of friends." True raised her eyebrow inquisitively. Oscar caved, "Okay, there's just me. She tends to feel very….threatened" he decided, "when I seem to like anything anyone else says or does more than her."

"Sounds like a jealous girlfriend." True mused. Oscar's face turned red at True's comment, and suddenly, everything made sense. "Oh my gosh, you have a thing for Amanda!"

"Define thing…." Was the vague response the receptionist gave her.

"Oh you know! You like her. You _like her _like her!" True urged.

Oscar rolled his eyes, "Oh do I, now?"

"Mmhmm." True said with a nod, "You totally love Amanda."

"I do not." Oscar scoffed. True shot him a look, which caused him to cave for the second time "Make it that obvious do I?"

True giggled a bit before responding, "Well, up until today, you had me fooled. So, how long have you liked her?"

"Before you got here." He stated bluntly.

True was flabbergasted. "That long? And you haven't done anything about it?"

"It's not like I haven't tried." Oscar sighed, "But you know how she is. And besides, ever since the…erm…incident, with Brock, she hasn't been open to dating anyone."

True frowned at the memory. Not only had he left her at the altar, literally, and not just because he was seeing another girl on the side, but they later found out he'd been abusing her. In fact, it had only been about a year since Amanda fully began to act like herself again.

"Well, I still think you should tell her." True stated.

"What am I supposed to do? Waltz into her office and say, 'Oh, hey Amanda! Just thought I'd let you know that I've been in love with you for the past six years!'?"

"Well, maybe not so bluntly," True suggested, "but, you know, ask her out! She seems so lonely, and she really needs a good guy who's not going to hurt her."

Oscar nodded, but then sighed and said, "But that guy isn't going to be me."

"Well why the hell not?" True fumed, "Every guy that Amanda's dated before has hurt her. It's time she started seeing a different type of guy."

"Good luck convincing her to date again at all." Was Oscar's blunt response. "She's sworn off men for good."

"That's just because she hasn't found the right guy yet!" True exclaimed, before adding, "And by right guy, I mean you."

"Oscar's the right guy for whom?" asked the voice of their kooky but loveable employer, Mr. Madigan.

True smiled as she informed him, "Amanda."

"Our Amanda?" Max asked, wide eyed.

"Yup!" True responded giddily.

A look of doubt crossed Mr. Madigan's face as he said, "Well, I wish you the best of luck."

"See," Oscar tried, "Even Mr. Madigan thinks it's a bad idea."

"Oh no!" Mr. Madigan added, "I think you two would make a lovely couple! I'm just worried about you surviving when she starts mauling you for even bringing it up." He turned to leave, but changed his mind and came back, "Although, I am a bit surprised, Oscar. I always thought that you…oh, how do the kids say it? Ah, play for the other team."

Oscar frowned and rolled his eyes, "So a man can't be in touch with his feminine side without be labeled? Anyway, as I was telling True, it's not going to happen!"

"Where did True get off to, anyway?" Mr. Madigan asked, but as they heard the door to Amanda's office shut, they both knew the answer.

"True!" Amanda cried, "You can't just come barging in on me like this!"

True smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I guess I really ought to have knocked first."

Amanda scowled, "And who let you in here, anyway? Remind me to fire that assistant." She got up from her desk to be on level with the girl. Sighing, she asked, "So, what do you want?"

"This might seem really silly.." true began.

"It already does." Amanda interjected.

True looked up at the older woman, "May I continue?" she asked, a bit snarky. Amanda nodded, and True began, "I was just wondering, the rest of the executives get their mail from the mailboy, how come yours always goes to Oscar at the front desk?"

Amanda tensed up at the question. "I don't think that that information is any of your business."

"I know it's not, it's just a thought that's been bothering me for a while, and it was really irritating when an answer wouldn't come." True explained.

Amanda sighed once more, and walked over to her door as she locked it. "Alright, I'll tell you." She grumbled. She walked back over to her desk and gracefully sat down. "Sit." She motioned to True. True did as she was told. "Remember way back when you first started working here?" True nodded. "We had a 'company retreat' where we had to share secrets with your partner, and I found out about your crush on Jimmy. I remember telling you that I thought it was sweet, and I still do think it was."

"Um, no offence, Amanda, but what does this have to do with anything?" True asked quietly."

With a wave of her hand, Amanda informed her, "I'm getting to that." She took a sip of her green tea before continuing, "Do you remember when I told you that I chose work over friends?" true simply nodded once again. "To be honest, I really regret making that choice." she sighed sadly, took another sip, and said, "Do you know what it's like to have absolutely no one? No one to share your accomplishments with, no one to tell random going-ons to? No one to be there for you when all you really need is a hug?"

"I thought you weren't a fan of physical contact." True interjected with a slight smirk.

"Everybody needs to be hugged sometimes." Amanda stated plainly. "Continuing on, everyone hated me when I started here. I know my attitude probably didn't help, but, it's really hard to feel comfortable working when only the boss treats you like an actual person." Amanda sighed before looking True in the eye, "Maybe that's why I was so hard on you. I didn't think it was fair that everyone welcomed you so warmly." She broke the contact quickly, and took another sip of tea. "Then, one day, we got a new receptionist. It was a chance for me to actually have somebody to talk to, to sit with in the lunchroom, rather than always eating by myself in my office."

"And you and Oscar became friends?" True asked, hopefully.

Amanda shook her head. "Nope. He hated me, too. I didn't think so at first, because he was always so nice to me. Then I overhead him talking about me to one of the other employees. It was the usual things people said about me, so it really shouldn't have come as a shock." Another sip was taken. "Anyway, even after that, he was still very nice to me every time I saw him, which gave me a little bit of hope. I thought that maybe, if he got to know me a little better, I could actually have a real friend. So, I started sending my mail to the front desk."

True smiled, "Oh, okay. Thanks, Amanda."

"Don't you want to hear the rest of my story?" Amanda asked, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

True raised an eyebrow, "There's more?"

"I still haven't told you how this ties in with you and Jimmy yet." Amanda stated, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well, you have a point there." True mumbled as she sat back down.

"Anyway," Amanda continued, "In case you haven't noticed, Oscar and I did become friends. In fact, he's the only friend I have. You have no idea how much I look forward to going and getting my mail every day, just so I can spend extra time with him. The more time we spent together, the more often I wanted to be with him when I was alone. That's when the idea that I was falling in love with him first popped into my head." A smile appeared on True's face, but Amanda didn't notice. "But, considering I never really had any friends, I thought it would be safe to assume that the feelings were just wanting to spend more time with my friend. But I was quickly proven wrong. Friends don't have reoccurring wet dreams about other friends."

"AMANDA!" True yelled in disgust.

Amanda rolled her eyes, "Oh come now, True. You're 19 now. Surely you aren't uneducated in this sort of thing."

"Can we just move on, please?" True asked, still a bit uncomfortable.

Amanda sighed, took yet another sip of her tea, and said. "Alright then, back to you and Jimmy. Really, the answer to this bit is rather brief. I've said it before True, and I'll probably say it again, I see a lot of myself in you. A happier, nicer, younger version of me, but it's there nonetheless. When I found out about your crush on Jimmy, that was just another similarity we shared. We both were hopelessly in love with someone in the office who ranked far below us on the corporate ladder."

"Amanda," True asked in a gentle voice, "Why haven't you ever told Oscar about any of this?"

Amanda sighed, "True, you and I both know he's gay."

"I thought so, too, until he told me…" True quickly closed her mouth, realising it wasn't her secret to tell.

"Until he told you what?" Amanda asked, clearly interested.

True fidgeted uncomfortably for a bit, until deciding on something that wasn't lieing, but not the total truth. "That he's not. Just today, he was all 'A man can't be in touch with his feminine side without being labeled?' because Mr. Madigan thought that he was."

True swore she saw Amanda's eyes sparkle, as she said with the one of Amanda's rare genuine smiles, "Really?"

"Why would I lie to you about that?" True asked sincerely.

Amanda smiled again, "Thank you, True."

"You're welcome." True smiled back.

As she exited Amanda's office, she heard Oscar yell, "What did you tell her?"

"Nothing!" True answered with a laugh. "But, you know Oscar, you really should ask her out. She really likes you."

"Then why hasn't she dropped any hints? It's very un-Amanda like for her not to." Oscar asked apprehensively.

True couldn't help but laugh as she responded, "She thought you were gay. She was pretty happy when I told her you weren't."

True stepped back into her office and smiled. Something good was going to happen between them, she could just feel it.

* * *

Eventually, closing time came around. And, as was the usual Wednesday fare, Amanda and Oscar stayed back longer to watch Space Plantation on the HD television in the lobby. Throughout the duration of the program, neither of them had said a word to each other, both desperately wanting to, but not knowing how the other would respond. Oscar was about to lose all hope in what True had told him, until they were both on the elevator and Amanda asked, "Are you free this Saturday?"

"Yes, why?" He asked, attempting his best to sound suspicious, even though he was doing backflips on the inside.

"Well," Amanda began, "There's a movie out that I really want to see, and I don't want to go alone."

Oscar smiled, "Well sure, what's it called?"

"I forget." Amanda mumbled, "it's some type of cheesy chick flick."

"I would love to." Oscar responded, sincerely smiling at her. Amanda couldn't help but smile back, and before either of them knew what they were doing, their lips met. It ended as quick as it started, and Amanda was about to apologise, claiming that she didn't know what came over her, when his lips were on top of hers again. Amanda kissed him back, as she gently wrapped her arms around his neck. The elevator opened as it reached its stop.

As the two broke apart, Oscar stuttered, "So, I-I guess, I'll um, well, I'll b-bee seeing you t-uh-tomorrow!"

Amanda nodded and walked away, but quickly called over her shoulder, "All of my mail better be mine tomorrow, you insignificant little troll!"

A smile tugged on Oscar lips. Everything was right in the world.


End file.
